1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rack for skis and the like and, more particularly, to a rack connectable to a curved surface for supporting skis in a manner such that the bindings of vertically-spaced skis overlap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of different types of racks have been designed for storing and transporting a variety of objects. Where the rack has been attachable to a vehicle for transporting sports equipment, the rack is virtually always connectable to the outside of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,892, for example, discloses a bracket attachment for motor vehicles connectable to a vehicle roof for supporting fishing poles and the like. A vehicle externally-mounted fishing rod support is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,797,851. Devices for supporting and transporting skis which are connectable to the outside of a vehicle are specifically disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,854,641, 4,077,554, 4,078,708, and 4,084,735.
It is known to be far more desirable to support and transport sports equipment inside of a vehicle. This desirability comes from a variety of factors such as increased security resulting from the ability to lock the sports equipment within the vehicle and the fact that the sports equipment is isolated from external conditions as the vehicle is traveling. In spite of this desirability, very few devices have been developed for supporting sports equipment within a vehicle. The most common brackets which are designed for mounting within a vehicle are rifle brackets and typical examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,294,247 and 4,108,313. An example of a fishing pole carrier mountable on a vehicle top interiorly of the vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,572.
The primary reason for not mounting racks inside a vehicle is that there is usually insufficient space for the sports equipment in the vehicle. However, vans are now very common and a van typically has sufficient space to carry fishing poles, skis, and the like. However, it is still not known to provide a bracket for attachment to the inside of a van, primarily because the inside wall of a van is curved and anything which is attached to such wall must be adapted for such curvature. Since brackets designed heretofore have not been adapted for mounting on a curved surface, it is still the practice to mount carrying brackets on the outside surfaces of vans and other recreational vehicles, as described in the patents previously discussed.